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STEPHEN  Bo  WEEKS 

CLASS  OF  1886;  PH.D.  THE  JOHNS  HOPKINS  UNIVERSITY 


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FOR  USE  ONLY  IN 
THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  COLLECTION 

THIS  TITLE  HA3  B^fm   a       - 


Form  No.  A-368.  Rev.  8/95 


%  Memorial  BMt\) 


of 


Mrs.  laidjarb  ^.  I^etuis. 


By  e.  p.  g. 


^ut  tlit  fruit  of  t^e  Spirit  is  lotie, 
iop,  peace,  lonsEiuffering:,  (irntlcnefiifii, 
poinesB,  fait(),  mecfenciSB,  temperance. 


pop  Ppiijate  Qi'pculatior?. 


\ 

I 


The  primary  objed  of  this  sketch  is  to  afford  in 
the  coming  years  to  the  occupants  of  "The  tJ^eliie 
Battle  Lewis  Memorial  Cot "  in  St.  John's  Hos- 
pital, %aleigh,  some  idea  of  the  rare  and  beautiful 
character  of  their  benefactress. 

It  is  proper  to  state  that  of  the  letters  from 
which  extrads  are  given,  not  one  was  written  for 
any  eye  but  that  of  private  friendship.  And  this 
use  has  been  made  of  them  in  nearly  every  case 
without  asking  permission  of  the  writers ;  of  not 
one  of  whom,  however,  can  we  conceive  as  obje£l- 
ing  thus  to  assist  in  presenting  a  faithful  portrait. 


THE  only  visible  link  between  this  life  and  the 
next,  and  the  only  work  of  our  hands  that  does 
span  the  grave  and  follow  us  into  the  unseen  world 
beyond,  is  what  we  accomplish  in  endeavoring  to  imi- 
tate Him  who  went  about  doing  good.  Doing  good 
is  unselfishness  in  action  ;  it  is  work  for  others,  and 
its  field  comprehends  the  smallest  kindnesses  of  every- 
day life  as  clearly  as  the  noblest  exercise  of  public 
charity.  The  cup  of  cold  water  marks  it,  as  well  as 
the  asylum,  or  the  hospital,  or  the  college.  The 
loving  smile,  the  cheering  word,  in  this  service  may 
be  more  worthy  of  remembrance  than  all  the  world 
calls  great  outside  of  it. 


She  whose  memory  this  sketch  and  the  apartment 
in  St.  John's   Hospital   are   meant  to  preserve  was 


but  a  young  and  tenderly  nurtured  woman,  whose 
short  Hfe  was  wholly  sheltered  among  home  joys 
and  home  duties.  There  are  few  materials  for  a 
memoir,  no  conspicuous  incidents,  no  special  under- 
takings or  achievements  to  note,  yet  she  so  lived  in 
the  daily  exercise  of  gentle  charity,  patience,  unself- 
ishness, and  love,  as  to  become  the  center  of  light  and 
sweetness  to  a  large  circle,  diffusing  an  influence  for 
good  as  unobtrusively  as  a  flower  sheds  its  fragrance. 
Her  untimely  death  was  like  the  withdrawal  of  the 
sunliofht  from  the  lives  of  those  who  loved  her. 

To  delineate  a  character  so  rare  and  beautiful,  and 
to  put  on  record  a  few  of  the  tributes  which  her 
death  called  forth,  seem  now  the  last  grateful  service 
we  can  do  her,  and  the  only  means  by  which  those 
who  shall  hereafter  share  the  charity  devoted  to  her 
memory  can  learn  what  she  was. 

Cornelia  Viola,  eldest  child  of  Hon.  Kemp  P. 
and  Martha  A.  Battle,  was  born  in  Raleigh,  N.  C, 
January  14,  1857.  She  was  married  to  Dr.  Richard 
H.  Lewis,  of  Raleigh,  February  13,  1877,  became  the 
mother  of  four  children,  all  of  whom  survived  her, 
and  died  October  13,  1886. 

This  brief  record  conveys  the  chief  incidents  of 
woman's    life' — birth,     marriage,    motherhood,    and 


death;  these  comprise  the  ordinary  round  of  her 
important  and  sacred  duties  and  ties,  and  there  is 
seldom  room  for  her  to  do  more  than  so  to  fill  these 
as  to  hear  the  "  Well  done  "  at  last. 

Mrs.  Lewis's  life  may  be  said  to  have  been  a  fortu- 
nate one,  exceptionally  blessed  in  parents,  brothers, 
husband,  children,  and  friends.  She  was  gifted  from 
her  cradle  with  beauty  and  winning  grace ;  she  was 
surrounded  with  the  advantages  conferred  by  wealth, 
social  position,  and  cultivation,  and  she  grew  up 
amone  the  refining-  influences  of  a  beautiful  and  well- 
ordered  home,  herself  its  fairest  flower,  its  most 
attractive  ornament.  Far  above  all  other  blessings 
must  be  reckoned  this :  that  she  was  the  child  of 
Christian  parents,  who,  while  sparing  no  pains  to  fit 
her  for  the  duties  of  this  life,  were  careful  to  lead  her 
early  in  the  Way  Everlasting.  Foreseeing  the  special 
dangers  and  temptations  that  awaited  a  girl  so  beau- 
tiful and  so  attractive,  her  devoted  mother  endeav- 
ored from  childhood  to  develop  in  her  the  graces  of 
humility  and  unselfishness.  By  these  she  was  dis- 
tinguished through  life.  Among  other  beautiful 
children,  among  other  beautiful  young  women,  Nellie 
Battle  was  marked  by  the  modesty  and  simplicity  of 
her  manners,  by  her  entire  freedom  from  everything 
like   self-assertion   or  vanity,    and     by  her    evident 


8 

anxiety  for  the  happiness  and  comfort  of  all  around 
her.  The  token  of  this  disposition  was  on  her  face ; 
she  wore  the  tranquil,  self- forgetting  look  which  men 
have  no  other  word  for  than  "  angelic." 

The  best  influences  of  the  Episcopal  Church,  ol 
which  she  was  a  true  child  by  birth,  baptism,  and 
ardent  affection,  shed  the  dew  of  their  blessing  on 
her  young  head.  Bright  as  she  was  among  her 
young  friends,  and  innocently  gay  with  other  girls, 
these  controlling,  orderly,  and  gracious  influences, 
setting  the  seal  of  early  piety  upon  her  character, 
gave  it  stability,  dignity,  and  purpose.  She  was  still 
very  young  when  members  of  the  family  began  to  go 
to  her  for  her  opinion,  to  rely  upon  her  prudence, 
and,  if  for  nothing  else,  to  be  cheered  by  the  fullness 
of  her  sympathy. 

She  was  so  remarkable  for  the  gentleness  and 
sweetness  of  her  air  and  expression  that  where  she 
was  not  well  known  the  mistake  might  have  been 
made  of  supposing  that  she  lacked  strength  or 
energy  of  character.  The  reverse  of  this  was  true. 
Her  father,  her  husband,  her  brothers,  all  prominent 
as  men  of  high  character,  cultivation,  and  strong 
sense,  habitually  consulted  her,  relying  not  only  on 
her  sympathy,  but  on  her  judgment ;  and  in  this  she 
could  be  very  firm.      Her  convictions  of  duty  were 


always  clear,  and  her  truthfulness,  her  conscientious- 
ness, were  so  absolute  that  her  decisions  imparted  a 
sense  of  restfulness. 

In  all  important  relations  Mrs.  Lewis  was  loyalty 
itself.  In  religion,  love,  and  friendship  she  could  be 
relied  upon  to  prove  steadfast.  She  was  not  quick 
to  form  new  ties,  but  her  faith,  once  given,  was  true. 

Not  a  few  good  women  go  through  life  acting, 
perhaps  unconsciously,  the  part  of  absorbents.  How- 
ever fitted  to  be  loved,  and  however  much  they 
receive,  still  of  all  they  do  receive  they  radiate  but 
little.  They  sit  at  the  receipt  of  things  and  are  con- 
tent. Mrs.  Lewis  was  essentially  a  radiator.  What 
she  received  she  gave  out.  The  devotion,  the  admi- 
ration, she  excited  she  was  always  ready  herself  to 
bestow  on  others,  putting  them  forward  and  enjoying 
their  successes.  Her  accomplishments  were  at  the 
service  of  others — her  music,  her  voice,  were  always 
ready.  To  please  her  father,  she  made  a  special 
study  of  English  and  Scotch  ballads,  singing  them 
with  exquisite  charm.  For  years  she  led  the  choir 
of  Christ  Church,  giving  much  time  and  study  to 
this  service  of  song,  in  which  she  greatly  delighted. 
Her  young  ladyhood  was  a  round  of  graceful 
pleasures  and  innocent  triumphs,  through  all  of  which 
she  remained  thoroughly  unspoiled ;    and  upon   her 

2 


lO 

happy  marriage  at  the  age  of  twenty,  and  entrance 
upon  the  serious  duties  of  life,  she  was  still  the  angel 
of  the  house  in  her  new  home,  diffusing  sweet  con- 
tent on  all  hearts  there.  It  was  characteristic  of  her 
that  her  marriage  bated  no  jot  of  her  loving  service 
to  her  parents  and  brothers.  They  still  felt  her  love 
and  sympathy  and  her  help  in  all  their  affairs,  still 
looked  to  her  for  the  light  and  blessing  of  their  lives. 
She  was  a  model  wife  and  daughter-in-law,  giving  to 
all  her  husband's  relatives  the  same  loyalty  she  gave 
her  own;  but  she  never  allowed  her  own,  not  even  on 
her  father's  removal  to  Chapel  Hill,  to  feel  for  a  day 
that  they  had  lost  her. 

To  her  children  she  was  the  ideal  mother  whom 
poets  embalm  in  our  hearts.  Careful,  judicious,  and 
most  tender,  she  gave  them  so  much  of  her  time  and 
work  that  the  wonder  was  how  she  still  met  the 
claims  of  society  and  friendship  ;  yet  one  of  the 
most  frequent  remarks  in  the  sorrowing  letters  written 
after  her  death  was  this :  "  No  one  knows  but  myself 
what  I  have  lost  in  her."  Her  summers  were  gener- 
ally spent  with  her  children  at  her  father's  house  in 
Chapel  Hill.  One  evening  when  all  the  family,  with  a 
visitor  or  two,  were  on  the  piazza  enjoying  the  moon- 
lieht,  her  absence  was  remarked.  "Oh,"  said  one 
softly,  "  she  is  never  out  here  at  this  hour  ;  she  makes 


1 1 

a  religion  of  seeing  her  children  put  to  bed  herself  and 
hearing  them  say  their  prayers."  After  a  while  she 
came  out  and  quietly  joined  the  circle,  with  the  seal 
of  this  evening  devotion  on  her  fair  forehead  like  a 
star.  In  her  letters  to  her  mother,  all  through  the 
usual  sweet  nursery  gossip  that  a  fond  young  mother 
will  pour  out  about  her  little  ones,  was  constantly 
evident  her  serious  purpose  to  secure  their  happiness 
by  making  them  good.  Once  she  wrote  that  she 
wanted  to  train  them  to  share  what  they  had  —  to  be 
fond  of  ofivino-'  "I  am  beo'innlnof  with  the  flowers, 
and  teaching  them  to  offer  them  to  people."  One 
little  anecdote  has  a  tender  significance  now.  Writing 
to  her  mother  that  she  had  heard  her  little  Kemp 
talking  of  some  one  dead  as  "out  in  the  cemetery," 
she  "did  not  want  him  to  have  the  idea  of  their  being 
there  under  the  ground,  and  had  endeavored  to  ex- 
plain it  to  him,"  but  did  not  think  her  talk  had  made 
any  impression  on  him.  "A  day  or  two  after,  I  heard 
Rosa  say  one  of  her  family  was  out  in  the  cemetery. 
'No,'  said  Kemp,  quickly  and  confidently,  'she  ain't 
— her  body  is  there,  but  she  ain't.'  " 

Her  close  attention  to  her  children  was  the  more 
noticeable  because  their  nurse  was  an  elderly  experi- 
enced woman  of  excellent  character,  who  had  been 
her  own  nurse  in  infancy  and  had  her  fullest  confi- 


12 

dence.  This  good  woman,  Margaret  Selby  by  name, 
though  she  had  been  freed  by  the  war,  had  volunta- 
rily returned  to  her  young  mistress  when  she  learned 
that  she  had  need  of  her,  and  joyfully  assumed  the 
charge  of  the  new  generation,  deserving  and  receiv- 
ing the  affectionate  regard  of  the  whole  family. 

The  tendency  of  the  day  is  to  loosen  domestic  ties 
of  this  sort,  to  ignore  the  existence  between  mistress 
and  servant  of  such  feelings  as  regard  and  fealty. 
It  is  the  more  pleasant  and  proper  to  record  that 
they  do  exist.  Here,  at  least,  was  one  young  mistress 
of  a  household  who  never  gave  a  hasty  or  petulant 
word  to  her  servants,  and  never  received  even  a  dis- 
obliging glance  from  them. 

The  last  summer  of  Mrs.  Lewis's  life,  spent  as 
usual  at  her  father's,  she  seemed  to  enjoy  with  height- 
ened zest  and  interest  in  all  things.  The  season  was 
an  exceptionally  fine  one,  and  "the  glory  of  the  grass 
and  splendor  of  the  flower"  were  never  more  marked. 
And  she  was  never  in  better  health,  never  more  beau- 
tiful, more  radiant,  as  with  that  inward  peace  which 
passes  understanding.  She  was  reading  some  new 
and  valuable  books,  of  which  her  appreciation  was 
very  keen.  Her  talk  of  men  and  things,  of  passing 
events,  was  unusually  animated  and  discriminating. 


13 

Her  judgments  were  specially  full  of  consideration 
and  charity.  With  what  calm  sweetness  she  spoke 
of  things  even  that  she  disapproved  !  She  was  no 
talker,  for  she  had  no  gift  whatever  for  "  taking  the 
lead,"  and  shrank  from  the  slightest  approach  to 
it.  But  as  a  listener  she  was  unequaled,  with  bright 
intelligence,  and  sweet  laughter  and  sweet  sayings, 
and  withal  a  purity  and  delicacy  of  thought  and 
expression  that  might  have  become  an  angel.  This 
last  summer  of  her  mortal  life,  with  no  premonitions 
that  it  was  to  be  the  last,  her  fond,  admiring  friends 
rested  with  more  entire  content  than  ever  upon  the 
charm  of  her  presence. 

Sweet  harmonist !  and  beautiful  as  sweet ! 
And  young  as  beautiful!  and  soft  as  young! 
And  gay  as  soft!    and  innocent  as  gay! 
And  happy  (if  aught  happy  here)  as  good  ! 
Transfixed  by  Fate  (who  loves  a  lofty  mark), 
How  from  the  summit  of  the  grove  she  fell, 
And  left  it  silent  and  forlorn. 

During  some  years  of  her  married  life,  Mrs.  Lewis 
had  suffered  from  ill-health  of  a  peculiarly  trying 
nature.  She  bore  it  all  with  perfect  composure.  No 
one,  not  even  her  own  tenderly  beloved  mother,  can 
remember  to   have  heard  from  her  a  word  of  com- 


H 

plaint  or  of  impatience.  She  took  what  was  laid 
upon  her  in  silent  submission,  with  true  womanly 
delicacy,  dignity,  and  fortitude.  This  experience 
seemed  to  fit  her  more  completely  for  the  character 
of  consoler  and  sympathizer  with  all  who  were  in 
affliction.  On  her  recovery,  her  thoughtfulness  for  the 
sick  was  redoubled.  She  hastened  to  share  with  them 
her  flowers,  the  delicacies  of  her  table,  or  whatever  of 
the  good  things  of  life  she  possessed.  The  sweet  grav- 
ity that  would  overspread  her  lovely  face  on  hearing 
a  tale  of  woe  was  instantly  succeeded  by  the  bright- 
ness of  her  resolve  to  "  do  something."  "  What  can  I 
do  ?  "  '*  What  ouofht  I  to  do  ? "  were  her  first  thoug-hts. 

But  these  she  never  spoke  of  It  was  only  indi- 
rectly that  her  friends  ever  knew  that  "something" 
had  been  done. 

The  final  close  of  this  life,  so  evidently  "  hid  with 
Christ,"  was  sudden.  She  was  not  well  when  she 
returned  to  Raleigh  in  September,  but  no  especial 
apprehensions  were  felt  till  the  last  few  days.  On 
Wednesday  morning,  October  13,  as  her  mother  was 
hastening  to  her,  "God's  finger  touched  her,  and 
she  slept."  She  passed  out  gently  and  unconsciously, 
saying  no  farewell  words. 

Bright  without  spot  she  was, 
And  cannot  cease  to  be. 


15 

It  was  the  marked  expansion  of  her  charitable  dis- 
position, the  evident  growth  of  her  wish  to  be  doing 
good  and  setting  her  feet  in  the  very  print  of  her 
Master's  steps,  that  made  the  endowment  of  a  room 
in  St.  John's  Hospital  the  most  appropriate  of  all 
tributes  to  her  memory.  She  had  taken  a  deep  inter- 
est in  this  charity  from  its  first  establishment,  and  now 
the  doing  good  in  which  she  found  her  chief  happi- 
ness on  earth  may  herein  be  indefinitely  prolonged. 
Since  her  death,  her  Bible  has  been  found,  with  many 
passages  marked  and  noted  with  her  own  hand. 
These  may  be  supposed  to  have  been  her  favorites, 
the  sailing  orders,  so  to  speak,  by  which  she  steered 
her  course.  Some  of  them  were  copied  on  the  fly- 
leaves, as  if  she  delighted  to  reiterate  the  words,  and 
with  certain  dates  all  through  the  years,  when  cer- 
tain truths  were  found  especially  precious  to  her  soul. 
Love,  and  faith,  and  praise  seem  to  have  been  the 
congenial  topics.  I.  Cor.  xiii.  is  lined  throughout, 
Hebrews  xi..  Psalm  cxlvii.,  and  many  detached  texts 
inculcating  patience,  submission,  humility, 

I.  Cor.  X.  lo.  Neither  murmur  ye,  as  some  of  them 
also  murmured. 

I.  Cor.  xi.  31.  For  if  we  would  judge  ourselves,  we 
should  not  be  judged. 


i6 

I.  Cor.  xvi.  14.  Let  all  your  things  be  done  with 
charity. 

I.  John  i.  7.  The  blood  of  Jesus  Christ  his  Son 
cleanseth  us  from  all  sin. 

II.  Cor.  i.  24.   For  by  faith  ye  stand. 

I.  Thess.  V.  18.   In  every  thing  give  thanks. 

James  iv.  7.  Submit  yourselves  therefore  to  God. 

"      10.  Humble  yourselves. 

"      1 1.  Speak  not  evil  one  of  another. 

These,  and  many  like  them,  were  the  manna  on 
which  this  sweet  soul  fed,  growing  from  day  to  day 
in  the  knowledge  and  love  of  her  Lord. 

Such  characters  form  the  ideal  women.  We  turn 
to  the  old  masters  of  English  poetry  and  song  to 
find  them  there  embalmed.  The  "  hidden  strength  " 
of  the  Lady  in  Comus  was  hers  —  the  charm  of 
"  heavenly  Una."  Herrick,  Herbert,  Shakespeare, 
must  have  been  inspired  by  such  women.  Words- 
worth drew  her  likeness. 

If  any  who  read  this  sketch  should  say  the  hand  of 
love  has  overdrawn  its  excellencies  and  presented  a 
creature  too  bright  and  pure  and  good,  let  the  sub- 
joined tributes  from  other  hands  be  read,  and  the 
extracts  from  a  few  of  the  many  letters  received  by 
the  mourning  family.  These  show  how  she  impressed 


17 

all  who  approached  her.  Friends  old  and  young, 
mere  passing  acquaintances,  old  family  servants — 
from  far  and  near  they  wrote  of  her.  As  long  as 
they  live  they  will  remember  her  as  one  whom  God 
had  especially  blessed,  and  who  so  used  His  gifts  as 
to  be  herself  a  blessing.  And  when  this  generation 
has  passed  away,  as  long  as  the  noble  work  under- 
taken by  St.  John's  Guild  shall  go  on,  the  name  of 
Nellie  Battle  Lewis  will  still  be  spoken  and  associated 
with  it ;  and  here,  in  works  of  love  and  charity,  may 
yet  be  recalled 

.    the    touch  of  a  vanish'd  hand, 
And  the  sound  of  a  voice  that  is  still! 


^ 


From  the  Raleigh  Neius  and  Observer,   October  ly,  1886. 


The  announcement  of  the  death  of  Mrs.  R.  H. 
Lewis  will  carry  a  long  and  sincere  sorrow  to  many- 
hearts.  She  was  well  known  throughout  the  State, 
and  wherever  known  was  deeply  loved.  Her  whole 
life  was  a  joy.  She  had  the  genius  of  unselfishness, 
and  it  was  a  delight  to  honor  her.  As  a  child,  she 
was  the  pet  of  a  sweet,  Christian  home,  the  pride  of 
her  school,  the  trusted  friend  of  her  playmates. 
Unconscious  of  her  singular  beauty,  she  was  a 
stranger  to  envy,  and  her  victories  in  the  quieter  con- 
tests of  the  school-room,  while  prized  by  her  as 
merited  rewards  of  duty  well  done,  would  have  been 
dearer  to  her  if  she  could   have  shared  them  with 


20 

those  who  had  striven  with  her.  Her  sweet  influence 
as  a  daughter  and  sister  in  a  numerous  household  was 
one  of  the  chief  causes  of  its  unalloyed  happiness. 
In  her  judgments  she  was  wise  and  judicious  by  intu- 
ition, and  won  others  to  them  without  offense.  But 
her  influence  was  wider  than  this.  It  followed  in  her 
train  wherever  she  went.  It  made  her  companions 
better  and  happier.  It  was  an  unconscious,  silent 
power  that  did  good  works.  Of  her  devotion  as 
a  wife  and  a  mother  it  is  almost  a  trespass  to  speak. 
She  lent  an  exquisite  charm  to  everything  about  her. 
Her  four  little  ones  echoed  the  soft  tones  and  crentle 
grace  of  the  mother,  and  made  for  the  happy,  worthy 
father  an  ideal  home.  The  very  roses  seemed  to  nod 
her  welcome  as  she  walked  amono^st  her  flowers.  We 
cannot  write  that  she  is  dead.  We  know  that  such 
a  spirit  cannot  die.  Such  a  life  cannot  die  even  here. 
Let  us  love  to  think  that  she  has  gone  before  any  sor- 
row came.  Her  merry  childhood,  her  happy  youth, 
her  cloudless  married  life,  she  had.  Before  a  shadow 
had  fallen  about  them,  she  had  gone  beyond  the  sun. 
Her  life  taught  us  how  to  live  a  higher  life  even  here. 
It  was  an  example  of  her  faith,  and  was  born  of  a 
resolution  that  never  faltered,  to  do  unto  others  what 
she  would  have  others  do  to  her.  The  poor  will  lack 
her  constant  charity.  Worshipers  will  miss  her  sweet 


21 

voice  in  the  anthems  of  praise.  We  will  all  miss  our 
friend.  May  the  patient  resignation  which  the  very 
strenofth  of  faith  alone  can  g-ive  to  answer  the  ear- 
nest  prayers  of  those  who  were  next  to  her,  solace 
their  broken  hearts. 


Mews  and  Observer. 

The  Funeral  Services  of  Mrs.  R.  H.  Lewis. 

The  special  esteem  in  which  Mrs.  R.  H.  Lewis  was 
held  here  was  most  touchingly  illustrated  yesterday. 
The  last  sad  services  over  all  that  was  mortal  of  this 
noble  woman,  so  gentle  and  pure  in  character,  and 
so  greatly  beloved  by  all  residents  of  Raleigh,  were 
attended  by  a  congregation  in  which  all  the  denomi- 
nations in  the  city  were  represented.  It  was  a  mourn- 
ful tribute  to  rare  loveliness  of  personal  character,  and 
inexpressible  sadness  was  felt  by  all  present.  The 
services  at  Christ  Church  were  conducted  by  Rev. 
Bennett  Smedes.  Rev.  F.  M.  Hubbard,  D.  D.,  was 
within  the  chancel.  The  sextette  choir  sang  the 
443d  hymn.  As  the  remains  were  carried  out  of  the 
church,  the  choir  sang  "  Jesus,  lover  of  my  soul." 
Upon    the    casket   was    an   exquisite    pillar   of    cut 


22 

flowers,  on  the  top  of  which  perched  a  snow-white 
dove  with  wings  outspread,  fit  emblem  of  the  gentle 
and  lovely  creature  whose  mortal  remains  indeed  lay- 
within  the  casket's  narrow  walls,  but  whose  spirit,  in 
very  truth,  is  "  not  lost,  but  gone  before." 

The  pall-bearers  were  Messrs.  A.  W.  Knox,  Charles 
E.  Johnson,  A.  D.  Mickle,  Hugh  Morson,  F.  H.  Bus- 
bee,  T.  H.  Briggs,  S.  F.  Mordecai,  and  P.  M.  Wilson. 

The  Faculty  of  the  University  yesterday  sent  an 
exquisite  floral  tribute  to  be  placed  upon  the  casket 
of  Mrs.  R.  H.  Lewis,  as  a  testimonial  of  their  admi- 
ration for  so  pure  and  lovely  a  character,  and  as  an 
added  mark  of  respect  for  her  distinguished  father, 
the  President  of  the  University.  The  Raleigh  Acad- 
emy of  Medicine  sent  a  beautiful  offering  of  cut 
flowers. 


From  the  Southern  Churchman,  October  28,  18S6. 

In  Memory  of  Mrs.  Richard  H.   Lewis, 
OF  Raleigh,  N.  C. 

At  her  home  in  Raleigh,  N.  C,  on  the  morning 
of  October  13,  1886,  Cornelia  Viola  Battle,  beloved 
wife  of  Dr.  Richard  H.  Lewis  of  that  city,  and  only 
daughter  of  Hon.  Kemp  P.  and  Martha  A.  Battle,  of 


Chapel  Hill,  N.  C,  entered  into  the  paradise  of  her 
God.  She  fell  asleep  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  to 
awake  amid  the  transcendent  glories  of  her  Father's 
mansions.  So  swift  and  silent  was  her  departure, 
we  stand  stunned  and  agonized,  and  in  our  mental 
gropings  vainly  cry  out,  "Why  is  it  thus,  O  God 
Eternal,  why  is  it  thus  ?  " 

The  good  things  of  earth  were  hers,  richly :  a  de- 
voted husband,  affectionate  parents,  lovely  children, 
true-hearted  brothers,  a  luxurious  home,  and  the 
interest  and  admiration  of  many  friends.  The  intel- 
lectual, moral,  and  spiritual  training  which  had  been 
prayerfully  bestowed  upon  her  from  her  childhood, 
budded,  blossomed,  and  ripened  into  full  fruition. 
She  renewed  her  baptismal  vows  through  the  holy 
rite  of  confirmation,  in  her  early  girlhood,  and  her 
piety  as  wife,  mother,  daughter,  sister,  mistress, 
friend,  proved  that  she  was  faithful  and  watchful  to 
keep  them.  The  poor  rise  up  and  call  her  blessed, 
for  her  generous  hand  knew  no  stint  in  its  charities. 
Her  servants  loved  her  much,  and  the  same  nurse 
who  cared  for  and  watched  over  her  own  infancy, 
now  cares  for  and  watches  over  the  infancy  of  her 
children. 

Her  personal   beauty  was  of  a  rarely  high  type, 
and    the    smile    that    glorified    her  face  as  with    a 


24 

seraphic  loveliness — who  that  once  beheld  it  can  ever 
forget  ? 

She  possessed  the  gift  of  song  preeminently,  and 
her  clear,  pure  notes  have  deserted  the  Christ 
Church  choir  only  to  swell  the  jubilee  strains 
around  the  Great  White  Throne.  The  charm  of  her 
presence,  the  light  touch  of  her  hand,  the  melody  of 
her  voice,  have  now  passed  beyond  the  boundaries  of 
time ;  but  there  remains  a  legacy  of  dear  memories, 
which,  like  angel  visits,  beckon  heavenward. 

We  know  "it  is  well,"  for  He  doeth  it,  and  we  be- 
lieve that  He  looks  in  mercy  upon  our  bitter  tears, 
and  hears  with  compassion  the  heart-breaking  sobs 
and  soul-piercing  sighs  that  bespeak  a  sore  bereave- 
ment. 

The  perfect  faith  that  "  God  so  loved  the  world 
that  He  gave  His  only  begotten  Son,  that  whosoever 
believeth  on  Him  should  not  perish,  but  have  ever- 
lasting life,"  is  our  one  sure  stay  and  comfort. 

"  Lord,  I  believe.      Help  Thou  mine  unbelief." 

L.  B.  B. 


EXTRACTS 


FROM  letters  received  from  friends  and  relatives. 
We  omit  many  beautiful  letters  which  are  simply 
consolatory,  our  object  being  to  use  only  those  pas- 
sages which  so  speak  of  the  character  of  Mrs.  Lewis 
as  to  illustrate  and  confirm  what  we  have  written 
of  her. 


To  Dr.  R.   H.  Lewis. 


St.  Louis,  Mo.,  Oct.  20,  1886. 

It  may  seem  almost  like  sacrilege  to  have  her  name 
mentioned  now  by  one  who  is  almost  a  stranger  to 
you  personally,  but  I   feel  that  you,  who   possessed 


26 

the  qualities  of  head  and  heart  to  win  her  love,  will 
understand  and  forgive  me.  I  need  not  tell  you  that 
I  loved  her  like  a  sister,  for  who  could  see  and  know 
her  and  not  love  her? 

When  I  first  went  to  Raleigh  in  '71,  I  was  very- 
poor,  and  my  education  had  been  sadly  neglected ; 
yet  I  possessed  all  the  pride  of  the  family.  I  knew 
of  my  rich  and  cultured  kin,  and  dreaded  to  meet 
them.  Can  you  understand  this  ?  I  felt  so  keenly 
my  poverty  and  disadvantages,  and  I  knew  that  I 
talked  like  a  negro,  and  there  was  in  my  heart  a 
bitter  rebellion  against  fate  for  making  of  me  what  I 
was.  When  I  went  to  Cousin  Kemp's  house  I  was 
looking  for  slights,  and  for  some  sign  or  hint  that 
my  company  was  not  agreeable.  My  reception  was 
a  great  surprise  to  me.  I  was  received  with  kindness, 
and  always  treated  with  the  greatest  consideration 
by  all  the  family — especially  by  dear  old  Aunt  Lucy 
Battle  (God  bless  her!)  —  and  by  your  angel  wife ; 
for  if  ever  there  was  an  angel  on  earth,  she  was  one 
to  me.  At  this  time  she  was  only  fifteen  years  old 
— a  school-girl.  I  was  a  great  deal  in  her  company, 
and  learned  to  know  her  well.  She  seemed  intui- 
tively to  understand  me  at  once.  Whenever  I  made 
any  bitter  allusion  to  my  hard  lot,  she  would  turn  and 
look  me  full  in  the  face  with  her  soulful  eyes,  and 


say  in  the  sweetest  voice  :  "  Cousin  Jesse,  you  are 
very  young;  you  have  plenty  of  time  to  get  a  good 
education  yet,  and  make  your  fortune  ;  only  em- 
ploy your  hours  well."  At  another  time  she  said,  "I 
am  going  to  watch  you  ;  and  some  of  these  days 
I  expect  to  see  you  a  highly  respected  man,  and 
rich. 

What  advice,  and  what  encouragement  to  come 
from  one  so  young  !  Sweet  cousin  !  I  can  yet  hear 
your  kind  words,  I  can  yet  see  your  lovely  girlish 
face,  and  yet,  and  ever  will,  feel  the  power  of  your 
influence  ;  for  what  I  am  to-day,  and  what  I  yet  may 
be,  I  owe  greatly  to  my  meeting  and  association  with 
you. 

And  now,  my  dear  Dr.  Lewis,  you  understand  me 
when  I  tell  you  that  you  are  no  stranger  to  me. 
When  I  address  you,  I  feel  the  double  tie  of  kindred 
and  of  love.  Yours  is  the  greatest  loss — how  great, 
only  you  can  estimate.  But  mine  is  great.  I  miss 
her,  I  mourn  for  her.  I  do  not  write  to  console  you; 
for  there  is  but  one  consolation  for  such  a  loss : 
that  is,  to  bow  in  humble  submission  to  Him  who 
doeth  all  things  well. 

Yours  affectionately, 

Jesse  M.  Battle. 


28 


To  Dr.   Lewis. 

West  Chester,  Pa.,  Oct.  24,  1886. 

I  read  the  beautiful  tribute  to  her  in  the  paper  you 
so  kindly  sent,  with  the  warmest  interest,  feeling  that 
every  word  was  true,  and  from  the  pen  of  one  who 
knew  her  well. 

I  think  I  never  met  any  one  who  so  quickly  im- 
pressed me  with  the  perfect  truthfulness  and  nobility 
of  her  character,  and  yet  with  such  modest  grace. 
Her  deep  maternal  love  and  care  were  evidenced  by 
her  lovely  children,  by  their  warm  affection  and  their 
dutifulness.  Truly  the  light  of  their  eyes  has  gone 
out  for  them  forever. 

As  men,  we  are  forced  to  divide  our  thoughts,  and 
new  interests  are  constantly  recurring.  Our  atten- 
tion is  diverted,  though  our  hearts  must  remain  sad 
and  heavy.  But  the  loss  to  these  dear  children  must 
be  hourly  felt,  and  permanent.  Her  memory  must 
be  their  sfuiding'-star  throuf>"h  life. 

Your  friend, 

Willis  P.  Hazard. 


29 


To  Dr.   Lewis. 

BURGAW,    Oct.    19,    1886. 

To  know  her  was  a  benediction,  and  to  associate 
with  her  was  Hke  reading  a  living  epistle  of  God's 
grace  and  power  over  the  human  heart  and  life.  O, 
that  we  could  look  upon  death  in  its  true  character 
—  the  entrance  into  Life  ! 

Affectionately, 

Alex.   L.  Phillips. 


To  Dr.  Lewis. 

Chapel  Hill,  Oct.   16,  1886. 

Our  sorrow  is  but  selfish,  for  we  mourn  for  our- 
selves. When  we  think  of  her  now,  we  ought  to 
rejoice  in  her  bliss  —  the  glorious  continuation  of  her 
life,  and  the  expansion  of  her  beautiful  nature.  The 
thought  of  how  happy  you  made  her  life  must  always 
be  a  solace  to  you.  Her  devotion  to  you,  her  perfect 
loyalty,  was  shown  in  every  act.  She  was  indeed  a 
loyal  soul.      Happy  they  who  could  call  her  friend. 


30 

How  many  beautiful  scenes  I  can  recall,  with  her 
as  the  central  figure  !  This  summer  her  friends  in 
C.  H.  repeatedly  remarked  upon  her  increased  love- 
liness and  animation.  She  looked  as  if  she  had  never 
had  a  thought  that  was  not  good.  The  last  evening 
she  passed  with  us  was  the  last  time  she  ever  sang 
at  the  piano.  She  made  her  father  sing  with  her 
once;  we  all  thought  she  never  had  appeared  lovelier, 
nor  her  voice  more  thrilling.  She  was  rapidly  near- 
ing  heaven  even  then,  and  I  know  of  no  one  more 
fit  to  enter  in  and  be  at  home  there. 

Your  sincere  friend, 

June  Spencer  Love. 


To  Dr.  Lewis. 

Chapel  Hill,  Oct.  17,  1886. 

I  have  often  said  that  I  thought  her  more  nearly 
perfect  than  any  woman  I  ever  knew.  So  beautiful 
in  person,  so  amiable  in  disposition,  so  gentle,  yet  so 
true  and  steadfast,  she  drew  all  hearts  to  her. 

Your  friend, 

John  Manning. 


31 
To  President  Battle. 

Washington  City,  Oct.  14,  1886. 

In  reason,  there  is  no  ground  for  sorrow,  except 
for  her  httle  children.  All  that  great  tide  of 
overwhelming  emotion  which  swells  your  hearts 
has  no  rational  source,  however  natural,  and  almost 
beyond  control.  A  happy  home  in  childhood  and 
girlhood  and  wifehood  ;  tender  care  all  the  while  ; 
warm  friends ;  loving  parents,  husband,  children  ; 
intelligent  interest  in  and  sympathy  with  what  was 
passing  in  this  interesting  age ;  agreeable  social 
connections  and  duties  ;  a  beautiful  and  consistent 
Christian  life; — and,  after  all  this,  an  early  rest  in 
heaven.  What  is  there  that  you  would  ask  for  your 
beloved,  that  God  in  his  mercy  has  not  given  her  ? 

With  great  regard  and  great  sympathy,  your  friend, 

S,   F.  Phillips. 

To  Dr.  Lewis. 

LiLESVILLE,    Oct.    25,     1886. 

I  have  read  Mrs.  S.'s  memorial  tribute  with  great 
interest ;  every  word  was  the  truth.  I  can  say  my- 
self, truthfully,  that  I  do  not  believe  your  dear  Nellie 


32 

ever  intentionally  gave  the  slightest  pang  of  pain  to 
any  human  being.  I  am  sure  I  never  met  a  more 
perfect  character  in  every  way  (unless  it  was  my 
own  dear  mother).  She  surely  kept  the  faith,  and, 
having  finished  her  course,  now  receives  her  reward 
among  the  spirits  made  perfect. 

Very  truly  yours, 

W.   H.   Battle. 

To  Mrs.   K.  P.  Battle. 

Cool  Spring,  Oct.   19,  1886. 

I  know  so  well  the  utter  blank  that  faces  you.  Our 
dear  dauofhters  loved  each  other  as  sisters ;  were 
trained  under  the  same  system  in  childhood ;  both 
married  happily,  bore  lovely  children,  beautified  the 
lives  of  those  around  them  by  their  rectitude,  purity, 
and  active  charity,  making  each  and  all  feel  them  as 
centers  upon  which  the  very  existence  of  personal 
comfort  and  happiness  revolved.  But  when  the  call 
came,  and  was  answered,  and  we  heard  not  even 
their  receding  footsteps  as  they  left  this  earthly 
tabernacle,  ah  !  then,  how  plain  it  was  that  if  Jesus 
had  sent  us  no  comforter,  our  hearts  and  lives  would 
lie  hopelessly  broken  before  such  a  demand. 


33 

There  is  the  sweetest  comfort  in  knowing  that  our 
dear  ones  were  most  dutiful  to  us, — true  to  their 
home  lives,  consecrated  to  their  Maker,  and  humble 
in  their  endeavors  to  fulfill  the  vows  they  assumed  as 
Christians. 

Do  you  not  recall  their  girlhood  when  together  ? 
The  summer  months,  that  sometimes  brought  sweet 
Nell  to  Warrenton,  give  me  many  backward  glimpses 
of  their  beauty  and  happiness    and    gayety.      May 

God  bless  us. 

Ever  affectionately, 

L.  B.  Battle. 


To  Mrs.   Spencer. 

Raleigh,  Feb.  i,  1887. 

My  knowledge  of  the  heavenly  beauty  of  her  char- 
acter came  from  years  of  intimate  companionship. 
She  was  a  revelation  to  me.  In  all  my  acquaintance 
I  have  never  known  such  perfect  purity  as  she  dis- 
played. The  spotless  lily  was  not  fairer  or  whiter 
than  her  own  soul  —  a  soul  which,  as  you  know, 
shone  ever  through  her  lovely  face,  the  light  of  it  fall- 
ing like  a  benediction  on  all  who  knew  her  well. 
And  her  truthfulness  was  not  less  remarkable — it 
5 


34 

was  inborn,  and  added  to  it  by  training  was  a  tender 
conscientiousness,  which  led  her  to  endeavor  after 
accuracy  in  even  the  smallest  matter.  She  was  true 
as  steel,  and  to  her  friends  the  very  embodiment  of 
the  word  friend  in  its  best  meaning, — ready  with 
sympathy,  wise  in  advice,  and  almost  unerring  in 
judgment. 

Every  day,  as  I  go  around  her  desolated  home,  I 
see  continually  evidences  of  her  industry,  of  her  fore- 
sight, of  her  thoughtfulness.  How  she,  with  her 
delicate  health,  ever  accomplished  so  much,  I  cannot 
understand.  Her  presence  is  felt  daily  among  us 
in  all  things,  and  her  memory  will  ever  be  the  most 
sacred  influence  in  the  home  which  she  blessed  with 
her  beautiful  example. 

Very  truly  yours, 

Annie  B.  Foreman. 


To  CoL.  WxM.  E.  Anderson. 

Chicago,  111.,  Oct.  15,  1886. 

I  am  indeed  shocked  and  grieved  to  my  inmost 
heart,  and  can  only  say.  Would  to  God  I  were  at 
home  ! — not  that  I  could  hope  to  do  anything,  but  to 


35 

assure  the  bereaved  family  of  my  heartfelt  sympathy, 
and  to  perform  for  dear  Mrs.  Lewis  the  last  service 
of  the  church.  What  a  noble  character  she  was !  so 
exemplary  and  so  modest  withal,  so  lovely  in  all 
respects.  No  one  could  appreciate  more  fully  than 
I  her  beautiful  nature,  or  her  perfect  loyalty  to  her 
church  and  her  rector. 

Faithfully  yours, 

M.  M.  Marshall. 


To  Mrs.   K.  P.  Battle. 

Beirut,  Syria,  Dec.   i,   1886. 
Dear  Mrs.  Battle  : 

Mrs.  Post  gave  me  this  morning  a  copy  of  the 
North  Carolina  Presbyterian  of  Oct.  20th,  in  which 
we  read  a  "  Letter  from  Chapel  Hill." 

Dr.  Fisher  and  I  wish  to  express  to  you  our  deepest 
sympathy  in  the  loss  of  your  daughter,  whom  (though 
we  met  her  but  once,  on  her  recent  visit  to  N.  Y.) 
we  remember  as  one  of  the  most  charming  women 
we  have  ever  known. 

Yours  very  sincerely, 

Mary  Shaw  Fisher. 


36 

To  Dr.  Lewis. 

Savannah,  Ga.,  Nov,  27,   1886. 
My  dear  Dr.  Leivis  : 

I  have  never  known  more  widespread  and  sincere 
grief  upon  the  passing  away  of  one  young  life  than 
is  expressed  over  her  departure.  I  have  always  felt 
that  I  knew  her  much  better  than  our  short  personal 
acquaintance  seemed  to  warrant.  It  was  because  of 
her  engaging  and  sympathetic  manners,  and  because 
I  had  heard  so  much  of  her  before  we  met.  I  ex- 
pected a  great  deal,  and  every  anticipation  was  real- 
ized. I  shall  never  forget  how  I  was  thrilled  by  her 
beauty  as  she  entered  the  Scriven  House  parlor  to 
meet  me.  Since  then  I  have  always  enjoyed  hear- 
ing all  that  friends  could  tell  me  of  you  and  of  her — 
of  her  loveliness,  and  of  your  united  happiness.  I  re- 
member Mrs.  B.  could  scarcely  say  enough  of  the 
impression  she  made  on  her.  She  ended  by  saying, 
"I  don't  believe  she  ever  had  a  wrong  thought." 
You  would  not  wish  to  bring  her  back — she  is  "num- 
bered now  with  the  saints  in  glory  everlasting." 

Most  truly  your  friend, 

Daisy  King. 


37 

To  Mrs.  Foreman. 

Chapel  Hill,  Feb.   14,  1887. 

I  thank  you  very  much  for  your  letter.  It  is  hard 
to  write  anything  about  Nellie  Battle  Lewis  so  as 
not  to  appear  over-eulogistic,  exaggerated.  It  is  not 
that  death  has  thrown  a  veil  over  defects,  and  bid  us 
remember  only  her  virtues.  She  was,  in  all  sober 
truth,  a  very  unusual  character.  I  never  had  a  con- 
versation with  her  that  I  did  not  feel  the  secret 
strength  as  well  as  the  visible  sweetness  that  was  in 
her.  She  was  so  mild,  so  unobtrusive,  something  so 
childlike  in  little  ways  and  looks  of  hers,  that  not  a 
few  passing  acquaintances  concluded  she  was  only 
this  and  nothing  more.  I  do  not  believe  that  any  one 
could  have  talked  with  her  on  serious  subjects,  on 
matters  of  importance,  without  being  sensible  of  the 
dignity  of  her  mind  —  the  stability,  the  intelligence, 
the  good  taste,  the  exquisite  delicacy,  the  true 
womanliness.  Ah,  well !  we  might  have  known  that 
such  are  always  called.  Her  face  had  early  the 
light  that  was  never  on  sea  or  shore — the  light 
that  attends  the  close  and  closer  walk  with  God 
that  soon  ends  in  his  rest. 

Yours  very  truly, 

C.  p.  Spencer. 


Microfilmed 


